Congressional Record—Senate S790
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S790 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 3, 2020 it travel in its illiberal direction, how They gave you a remedy, and they lute power. We are a nation founded by many more freedoms will be extin- meant for you to use it. They gave you the ratification of the most radically guished before it turns back we cannot an oath, and they meant for you to ob- democratic document in history, the say. But what we do here, in this mo- serve it. We have proven Donald Trump Constitution of the United States of ment, will affect its course and its cor- guilty. Now do impartial justice and America. rection. convict him. Under the Constitution, we are gov- Every single vote, even a single vote I yield back. erned not by monarchs—who act with by a single Member, can change the The CHIEF JUSTICE. The majority impunity and without accountability— course of history. It is said that a sin- leader is recognized. but by elected officers who answer to, gle man or a woman of courage makes ADJOURNMENT OF THE COURT OF IMPEACHMENT and work for, ‘‘We the People.’’ a majority. Is there one among you Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. Chief Justice, Generations of Americans have who will say ‘‘enough’’? I ask unanimous consent that the Sen- struggled and sacrificed their lives to America believes in a thing called ate, sitting as a Court of Impeachment, defend that audacious vision. The Sen- truth. She does not believe we are enti- stand adjourned under the previous ate has a duty and a moral responsi- tled to our own alternate facts. She order. bility to uphold that vision. recoils at those who spread pernicious Over the last 2 weeks, I fear that the falsehoods. To her, truth matters. There being no objection, at 2:59 p.m., the Senate, sitting as a Court of Senate has failed in that duty. I am There is nothing more corrosive to a deeply disappointed that nearly all of democracy than the idea that there is Impeachment, adjourned. Mr. MCCONNELL. I suggest the ab- my Republican colleagues refused to no truth. allow for the kind of witness testimony America also believes there is a dif- sence of a quorum. The CHIEF JUSTICE. The clerk will and documentary evidence that any le- ference between right and wrong, and gitimate trial would include. You can- right matters here. But there is more. call the role. The legislative clerk proceeded to not conduct a fair trial without wit- Truth matters. Right matters. But so nesses. does decency. Decency matters. call the roll. Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask In my view, you also can’t have a le- When the President smears a patri- gitimate acquittal without a fair trial; otic public servant like Marie unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. that the Senate refused to shed more Yovanovitch in pursuit of a corrupt light on the facts is truly astonishing. aim, we recoil. When the President f Despite this, the facts as we know mocks the disabled, a war hero who them are clear and plain. President was a prisoner of war, or a Gold Star LEGISLATIVE SESSION Trump pressured the Government of father, we are appalled because de- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With- Ukraine, an American ally, not for our cency matters here. And when the out objection, it is so ordered. national security interests but for his President tries to coerce an ally to The Senate will now resume legisla- own selfish and corrupt political inter- help him cheat in our elections and tive session. ests. When he was caught, he sought to then covers it up, we must say f cover it up by suppressing documents ‘‘enough.’’ Enough. He has betrayed our national secu- THE JOURNAL and preventing witnesses from testi- fying before Congress and the Amer- rity, and he will do so again. He has Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask compromised our elections, and he will ican people. unanimous consent that the Journal of The President’s defense team had do so again. You will not change him. proceedings be approved to date. You cannot constrain him. He is who every opportunity to present us with The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With- evidence that would explain his actions he is. Truth matters little to him. out objection, it is so ordered. What is right matters even less. And or give us reason to doubt this clear decency matters not at all. f pattern of fact. Instead, they shifted I do not ask you to convict him be- MORNING BUSINESS their defense away from the damning facts and embraced an extreme legal cause truth or right or decency mat- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. ters nothing to him but because we philosophy that would allow any Presi- HAWLEY). Under the previous order, the have proven our case and it matters to dent to abuse their power and ignore Senate will be in a period of morning you. Truth matters to you. Right mat- the law. business, with Senators permitted to ters to you. You are decent. He is not This dangerous argument is not new. speak therein for up to 10 minutes who you are. It was used by President Richard Nixon In Federalist 55, James Madison each. when he said: ‘‘Well, when the presi- wrote that there were certain qualities Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I suggest dent does it, that means it is not ille- in human nature—qualities I believe, the absence of a quorum. gal.’’ like honesty, right, and decency— The PRESIDING OFFICER. The President Nixon also strayed far from which should justify our confidence in clerk will call the roll. his duties to our Nation for his own self-government. He believed that we The legislative clerk proceeded to personal and political gain. It was only possessed sufficient virtue that the call the roll. after courageous Members of the U.S. chains of despotism were not necessary Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, I ask Senate, in his own political party, put to restrain ourselves ‘‘from destroying unanimous consent that the order for their country first and stood up to him and devouring one another.’’ the quorum call be rescinded and to that President Nixon finally resigned. It may be midnight in Washington, speak as in morning business. We are now in yet another time when but the sun will rise again. I put my The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without our Chief Executive has failed us, and faith in the optimism of the Founders. objection, it is so ordered. our Nation requires more leadership You should too. They gave us the tools f and conscience from the U.S. Senate. to do the job, a remedy as powerful as Unfortunately, my Republican col- the evil it was meant to constrain: im- IMPEACHMENT leagues are unwilling to deliver that peachment. They meant it to be used Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, and kind of moral leadership. rarely, but they put it in the Constitu- all of my colleagues in the Senate, President Donald Trump has proven tion for a reason—for a man who would throughout this impeachment trial, I to be unfit for the office he occupies. sell out his country for a political thought a lot about what this country He abused his powers and continues to favor, for a man who would threaten stands for. For me, as the son of an im- engage in a coverup. He presents a the integrity of our elections, for a migrant whose family came to the clear and present danger to our na- man who would invite foreign inter- United States from Germany in the tional security and, more fundamen- ference in our affairs, for a man who 1930s, America stands as a beacon of tally, to our democracy itself. would undermine our national security liberty, equal justice, and democracy. That is why my conscience and my and that of our allies—for a man like We are a nation forged by a revolu- duty to defend our Constitution compel Donald J. Trump. tion against a monarchy and its abso- me to vote to convict Donald Trump. I VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:05 Feb 04, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G03FE6.026 S03FEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE February 3, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S791 hope the rest of you will join in this So I will ask us once again, what offense that unquestionably demands vote, but I am not naive. I understand does America stand for? In considering removal from office. If so, I then ask how President Trump operates. I know that question, I think of Dr. Martin whether the House proved beyond a how ugly it can become if you dare to Luther King, Jr.—the only man who reasonable doubt that it actually oc- challenge him. But your fear of this did not serve as President whom we curred. bully cannot outweigh your duty to the recognize with a memorial on our Na- The House’s case fails on the first of American people. Your fear cannot tional Mall. More than 50 years after those questions. The President’s re- blind you to how you will be viewed by his assassination, Dr. King’s life’s work quest is not impeachable conduct under history. What you should really fear is to make our Nation more fully live up our Constitution. A President isn’t pro- what will happen when there are no to our founding principles still reso- hibited by law from engaging the as- limits on any President, even when he nates.